New NYS boss says she has zero appetite for graft

July 3, 2018 6:23 pm

Speaking to Capital FM News on Tuesday, Sakwa pledged to institute reforms that will redeem the image of NYS whose immediate former Director Genera is battling graft-related charges/CORRESPONDENT

By CORRESPONDENT, NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 3 – The newly appointed Director-General of the National Youth Service (NYS) Matilda Sakwa has said she no appetite for corrupt money as she prepared to take over leadership of the scandal-tainted youth agency.

Speaking to Capital FM News on Tuesday, Sakwa pledged to institute reforms that will redeem the image of NYS whose immediate former Director Genera is battling graft-related charges.

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“It is a tough job judging from the history. People have gone there to loot but I do not have that appetite,” the outgoing Machakos County Commissioner said shortly after handing over to her deputy, Sam Ojwang’.

She termed as unfortunate cases of runaway corruption at the youth agency saying she will not tolerate corruption under her watch.

Sakwa said she will focus on youth empowerment which is a central them in NYS’s objectives.

“My vision is to ensure NYS reclaims its lost glory. NYS should be a place where we nature our youth and that is the only way this country can move forward,” she said.

She will be taking over from Richard Ndubai – the immediate former NYS boss who is facing prosecution alongside Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Lilian Omollo and 40 other officials and suppliers over a Sh468 million scam at the agency.

Ndubai and Omollo denied conspiring to defraud the taxpayer by approving the Sh468 million payments to 10 companies when they appeared in court on May 29.

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions had told the court investigations had concluded that no goods or services were supplied to NYS.

Ndubai and Omollo were later in June granted an application seeking their release on bail, Justice Hedwig Ong’undi setting the terms at Sh5 million for each of then in addition to a cash bail of Sh1 million and a surety of Sh2 million.